


Timor

by Anasatsia98



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-10-19 11:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20656859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anasatsia98/pseuds/Anasatsia98
Summary: "Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it; not a penny was there in it, only ribbon round it."-unknown. She could hear the short gasps and groans from the foot of her bed and she buried herself deeper under the mass of covers that surrounded her. She knew that it wasn't going to leave. It didn't matter who she was with or where she was, it would never leave her alone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bailee Madison and Sophie Skelton as Eloise 'Lucy' Grace

_The hallway was barely visible and, to make sure she didn't run into a vase again, she trailed her hand against the wall. Not only would the loud crash wake everybody up, but it would also give Luke another thing to tease her about. She could practically hear it now, the 'are you sure you don't need glasses, Lou?' and the 'watch out, vase! Lucy's coming!". _

_A cool breeze brought Lucy out of her thoughts and she couldn't help but shiver, bringing Mr. Berry closer to her chest. Out of fear or for warmth, she wasn't sure, but she did know that it was a particularly hot summer night and there hadn't been a single breeze until now. Lucy gnawed on her lip as she passed the first door, and took a deep breath. Her room was only three down from Nellie and Luke's, she had two more to go and then she would be safe. _

_A sharp gasp left her lips as she heard a creak from behind her and she whipped around, her hazel eyes wide as she examed the hallway. She couldn't see anybody, but that didn't mean that _ _ **something ** _ _wasn't there. Lucy had quickly learned in this house that you couldn't see everything you feared. _

_Swallowing, she turned back around and continued to walk down the hall, the second door not even a foot away. The creaking behind her had started again, and Lucy picked up her pace. She needed to get to their room. That was the only place she was safe. _

_"Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it;" Lucy whispered to herself, the sound of her voice was comforting in the uneasy silence that rested in this house, "Not a penny was there in it, only ribbon round it." _

_Her little feet paddled quickly past the second and third door and she was only a mere matter of inches away from Luke and Nellie's when she felt the familiar tingle on the back of her neck. Stopping in her tracks, she twisted her neck slightly, enough to see out of the corner of her eye before booking it to the room._

_As quickly and as quietly as she could, she twisted the doorknob and entered the room, freezing at the long, eery creak the door made as she pushed it. Her eyes skipped between the two beds and she sighed when she realized that she hadn't woken either of them up. Lucy turned and closed the door, pressing her ear against it and waiting for the creaks to stop._

_"Lucy?" She heard Luke and her heart dropped at the fact that she had woken them up. She didn't mean to, she just wanted to be safe. She turned around and watched as Luke rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses, Nellie following as she sat up in her own bed, "What's wrong?"_

_She couldn't hide it now. _

_"She came again," Lucy said, her voice was barely above a whisper as her eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed Mr. Berry tighter, "She came again and said she wanted to take me away."_

A flash of light flooded Lucy's vision as she let out a gasp and lurched forward in her bed, glancing around the room to see if anyone else was in there with her. There seemed to remnants of a cry echoing throughout the room, but she couldn't tell if it was coming from her mind or from the apartment. Letting out short breaths of air, Lucy pressed her left hand against her chest, the feeling of the cool metal against her warm skin, soothing her and allowing her to catch her breath.

It all felt so real.

The tall, pale figure standing at the end of her bed with a chillingly broken smile, the feeling of the oddly soft-but rough-wallpaper underneath her fingertips, Luke's childish voice asking if she was okay. Lucy pressed the tips of her fingers to her temple as collected herself and reassured herself that it was just a dream and that everything was okay.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she let out a sigh, knowing that she wasn't going to be falling asleep anytime soon. Lucy glanced at the clock and she couldn't help but let out a low laugh.

_3:03_

Of course it was. What a coincidence that she had woken up at the exact time of the witching hour. _Must be part of the Crain charm, _she thought.

Stumbling out of bed and bumping into the wall by her door, Lucy clumsily made her way out to her daughter's room. There was no reason for Matilda to be up at this hour, she had been sleeping full nights since she hit five months, but she still liked to check on her. Quietly making her way to the crib, she silently thanked Nell for the baby nightlight in the corner of the room. Peering down, a frown crossed Lucy's face as her daughter's wide, curious eyes stared up at her.

"Hey," Lucy cooed as she lifted Matilda into her arms and began to bounce her up and down, "Why are you up, love?"

Matilda kicked out her legs and cooed at her mother, grasping at Lucy's pajamas-which happened to be one of Luke's old t-shirts. Smiling, Lucy pressed a kiss to the crown of her head before resting her cheek there and cradling her daughter close to her.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Lucy asked, making her way to sit in the rocking chair that was next to the crib-the one that Shirley had given her- and shifting Matilda so that she was staring down at those beautiful blue eyes. The beautiful eyes she got from her father, "I have bad dreams too. Sometimes I wake up and still think that I'm in the dream."

Matilda only looked up at her with curious, doe eyes and reached for a strand of her dark red hair that had escaped the bun Lucy had placed it in earlier.

"Your dad has bad dreams too," Lucy smiled lovingly as she ran a finger down her daughter's rosy cheek, "When we were teenagers, he used to call me every time he had a one and we'd talk on the phone for hours."

The smile slowly fell into a frown as she thought of how the phone calls about dreams turned into phone calls from the police, asking her to come pick him up or to bail him out.

"But I guess talking on the phone wasn't enough to help him."

_She didn't need a genius to tell her that someone had broken into her apartment. The crack in the door was enough to tell her that she should probably call someone. Pulling out her phone, Lucy stayed far enough from her door to be able to get away if needed but close enough to see the face of whoever was leaving. _

_It only took two rings before he picked up._

_"Steve," Lucy whispered, her free hand coming up to cradle the bump that was hidden beneath Luke's old sweatshirt, "Someone's in my house and I don't want to call the police because if it's Luke...I don't want him to be away for the birth..." _

_"I know," She heard Steve sigh, "I'll be there in fifteen."_

_The moment Lucy had found out she was pregnant, Steve and Leigh had offered for her to come and live with them. While she didn't want to and felt like she intruding on the couples life, Lucy ended up staying there for the first three months of her pregnancy before moving into an apartment in the city—only fifteen minutes away from where Steve lived. Close enough for him to be there for her in case of an emergency and close enough for her to feel safe. _

_Lucy quickly thanked him before saying goodbye and hanging up. Nervously shuffling on her feet, she reached into her bag and grabbed the can of pepper spray that Theo had given her when she heard that she was moving to the city by herself. _

_It was only a mere matter of minutes, five to be exact, before whoever was in her house exited. Lucy felt her heart drop when she saw a familiar hoodie and towering frame quietly try to close the door behind him. _

_"Luke," Lucy called, causing him to jump and drop the bundle underneath his right arm. Lucy sadly watched as the baby carrier that Steve bought her crashed to the ground along with a pair of baby coats and shoes._

_Sighing, she looked at Luke's other hand, the one that was still tightly clenched in a fist, and gave him a soft look, "What else do I need to replace."_

_Luke didn't try and meet her eyes as he slowly opened his fist to reveal a pair of diamond earrings and a silver locket. _

_"Well," Lucy pursed her lips, "You can take the earrings, but I was planning on giving them the locket if they were a girl." _

_It was the locket that her grandmother gave her mom, and her mom gave her. She wasn't sure how far back the tradition went, but she did know that every first born girl got the locket and, if she were honest, she was secreting hoping for a little girl. _

_She watched as Luke's eyes drifted from the ground to her stomach. It was the first time she had mentioned their child to him in a long time. The last time they had been brought up was the day Lucy found out and surprised Luke by telling him that he was going to be a dad. He had been clean for twenty days at that point, and she really thought he was going to make it. Well, that was until she got a phone call from Steve saying that Luke had overdosed on heroin three weeks after the announcement. _

_She knew he didn't want her to see his eyes, but it wasn't like she was going to be any more disappointed than she already was. Watching carefully as Luke took a couple steps forward, she made sure to keep her face passive when his eyes met hers as he towered over her frame. They were as red and as crazed as the time she saw him. _

_The two didn't break eye contact, and if someone saw them out of content, it looked like a rather touching moment between a young couple. It was only when Luke reached his hand forward that the mirage was ruined. Lucy took a step back and placed her hand protectively over her stomach. _

_She saw the hurt in Luke's eyes, but she didn't want him touching her... not like this. _

_"You're, uh, bigger," Luke said, retracing his hand as he sniffled and rubbed his nose. Lucy couldn't stop the small, sad smile that crossed her face._

_"The last time you saw me was two months ago," Lucy said with a shrug, her hand running across her stomach before dropping to the side, aware of Luke's eyes following her hand._

_"So, that makes you, uh, four month-"_

_"Six," Lucy corrected, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "You saw me at four two months ago. I'm at six months now."_

_Luke nodded at the news and Lucy didn't know why she was trying to talk to him. He was on a high right now and whatever was being said, he was barely going to remember it when he came down. It broke Lucy's heart because hen Luke was there, really there, he knew how far along she was and would gush about how excited he was to become a dad. She didn't see much of that Luke lately._

_"Liste-" Luke began before the sound of rushing footsteps caught the young adults attention. Turning, Lucy felt her shoulders subconsciously relax as Steve came into view and slowed his pace, calmly walking towards them. Lucy knew that he was worried and, while his form did show any sign of unease or panic, she could see the worry in his eyes._

_"Luke," Steve let out sharply, his eyes skimming over Lucy's form to make sure that she was okay. They both knew that Luke would never hurt her, but there had been moments when Luke had so desperately craved the high, that their fights had Steve holding a screaming Luke back and Nell hugging a sobbing Lucy. "Come on, Luke. Leave the stuff. I have some cash you can have."_

"No," Lucy said, the phone resting between her head and her shoulder as she screwed the lid off the baby food, "I haven't seen Luke since, I think, two months ago? I don't know, he wanted to give Matilda a gift but he didn't get a chance to. Yeah, he came when I was at work. Weird you saw him, though.

"Look, Lou, the reason I called," She heard Steve's voice crack and she suddenly noticed how raw his voice was and how weak it sounded, almost like he had been crying, "Nell died last night. She committed suicide at the house."

The sound of glass shattering echoed through the apartment and Lucy could barely hear Steve's frantic, questions asking if she was okay and if he needed to come over.

"You're kidding, right?" Lucy asked, her voice shaking as she knelt down and slowly picked up the broken glass surrounded in mashed yams, trying not to cut her shaking hands, "What do you mean, Nell died last night."

"She...she went to the house and the Dudley's found her... she committed suicide. Luke, Dad, and I are flying down tomorrow for the open casket. I understand that traveling with an infant isn't-"

"I'm coming," Lucy cut him off, dumping the shards of glass in the trash and running her hand under the tap water. She watched as her dark red blood mixed with the translucent water, turning into a light pink, "Send me the details. Oh God, Steve, I'm so sorry."

"Me too, Lou, me too." Steve murmured into the phone, his mind thinking back to the missed phone call from her the night that she... she left.

After saying goodbye and hanging up, Lucy tossed her phone on the counter and stared blankly out the window that was above her sink. Nell... Nellie was gone. The one person that she could always turn to when she needed somebody. The only person who understood why she never gave up on Luke and believed that he could get clean as much as she did.

And now... now she had been taken away.


	2. Chapter Two

_"Please, pretty, pretty, pretty, please have a tea party with me." Nellie practically begged, and Lucy looked up from the flower crown she was making, annoyance crossing her face._

_"I already said no, Nellie," Lucy stated, her thin fingers weaving two Dutch clovers together. Her brows were furrowed in concentration and she reached over her left side to grab a violet from the bushel of leaves, "I don't want to go inside."_

_"Then we can have it out here," Nellie exclaimed, exasperated that nobody wanted to have a tea party with her. First Steve said he was too busy, then Luke said he wanted to play with his toys, and then Shirley said she wanted to take pictures, and Theo said no._

_Lucy paused and looked up at Nellie, "Promise?"_

_"Promise!" Nellie beamed, ecstatic that someone finally agreed to have a tea party with her. "I'll go get the tea set and the cookies that Mrs. Dudley made."_

_Lucy's ears perked up at the cookies and she couldn't stop the smile from crossing her face. Mrs. Dudley rarely let them have sweets before dinner or without Mr. and Mrs. Crain's permission, and Nellie knew that Lucy was a sucker for anything sweet._

_"Okay!" Lucy said, clambering to her feet and brushing off her shorts with one hand while the other hand clutched the two flower crowns. Nellie beamed at Lucy once more before turning around and racing towards the house, the wind carrying her hair behind her in an almost regal way._

_Spinning on the heel of her foot, Lucy happily made her way over towards the gates that led to the yard. Stopping at the person who sat a few feet away from the gates, Lucy clumsily sat down and handed Luke one of the crowns she made. He stared at her blankly and looked at, what he thought, was a poorly strung ring of flowers._

_"I made you a_ _crown." Lucy said when she noticed the look of confusion that was slowly starting to cross over Luke's face as he picked up the flower crown. "Nellie and I are having a tea party, but a princess," She pointed to the crown, which was a mix of violets and Dutch clovers, on her head, "Needs a prince."_

Lucy intertwined her hands together before pressing the fist she had made against her lips, letting out a determined sigh. It was around seven in the morning and she was _not_ in the mood to lose today. Tucking a strand of her wavy, auburn hair back, Lucy pushed up the glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose and stared at the innocent, blue eyes in front of her. The kitchen table the only thing in between the two.

After a few minutes, Lucy broke the silence.

"Okay, Tilly, here's the deal." She said, and her daughter turned and looked at her when she heard her name, her legs kicking the empty air as she sat in her high chair, "I pack our bags, clean the house, the whole shebang, right? You don't have to worry about a single thing. But, here's the part of the deal that matters, you don't make a sound on the plane ride. You can pull my hair, play with my jewelry, we can watch all your favorite shows and movies, but the only catch is that you gotta stay silent."

Lucy carefully observed Matilda, who let out a high pitch squeal before banging her hands down the tray attached to her high chair.

"Look, I get it," Lucy said, leaning across the table to brush back some of Matilda's hair, "I wouldn't be happy either. It's a long flight, but we both know I can't do anything to change that. Plus, we're going down early so you can spend some time with Aunt Theo and Aunt Shirley."

Matilda let out another cry and Lucy let out a defeated sigh.

There was no way in hell that Matilda was going to stay quiet and she didn't want to bother the other passengers. Lucy didn't know how understanding they would be or if they would all glare a the single-mother-who-couldn't-get-her-kid-quiet.

"I'll even bring the _GoGo Squeez,_deal?" Lucy finally caved, getting out of her chair and heading to the fridge, opening it and grabbing the applesauce before walking back over and handing it to her daughter, who finally stopped crying.

Slumping back in the chair, Lucy watched as her Matilda happily banged the _GoGo Squeez _against the highchair's tray, and scratched her forehead. Matilda looked up at Lucy with wide eyes and let out a stream of happy babbles.

"I guess we have a deal then."

_ **Six years earlier** _

_The sound of a pen scratching against paper echoed in the eerily quiet room. Lucy tried not to think about how much money this was going to cost. As long as it helped Luke get better, she shouldn't worry about the amount of money. He just needed to get better, that was the number one priority right now._

_"On the phone, you said he had insurance." The rehab consultant cautiously asked as she stared at the three adults in front of her, taking in their different facial expressions. The darker haired woman seemed to just want to leave while the man gave off an aura of annoyance. The only one who seemed to be worried was the young lady who sat in between the two brunets, her knee bouncing nervously as she looked up from her checkbook._

_"Right. We thought so. He told us so." Shirley sighed. "This morning we tried to get the info—"_

_"It had lapsed a few months back." Steve said, cutting Shirley off and going straight to the point, "He didn't—"_

_"He just didn't tell us," Shirley stated, cutting Steve off and Lucy nervously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He hadn't told anyone about the insurance, and it hurt that he felt like he couldn't trust her... that he couldn't trust them._

_"It happens all the time, I'm afraid, especially with first-timers." The lady said, nodding her head in agreement._

_"We can still do this. We're going to split the cost," Shirley motioned to the three of them and Lucy awkwardly waved her checkbook, "He needs to be here."_

_"It's fine. Without an insurance policy, it's six thousand a month," Lucy froze as the number rang in her ear like a firework. Six thousand? She didn't have that much money to spare, not when she was working two to three jobs to pay for their rent. "And we do recommend a four-to-six-month commitment."_

_"I'm sorry, did you say six thousand?" Shirley asked, looking at the woman in shock. Lucy could feel Steve's gaze on her, but she refused to acknowledge it. She had to be strong, she had to help him get better._

_"A month." The woman nodded, "That's right."_

_"And obviously if he had insurance it would be in..." Shirley took a deep breath, "The ballpark of what we discussed on the phone."_

_"Yes... but if his policy_ _is lapsed..."_

_"We can just use mine," Lucy suddenly voiced, her hands shaking as she looked between Steve, Shirley, and the lady, "Right? He can use mine or we can put him under my name."_

_"Lou, that's not gonna work in this situation," Steve said, trying to calm down the young adult. Even though Lucy was a grown woman, Steve still saw her as the crying six-year-old from the summer at Hill House. He even considered her one of his sister's and, if Steve was being honest, she should've been his official sister a few months ago._

_Lucy let out a shaky breath and nodded, conveying that she understood what Steve was saying. She knew that he was doing this to help her. She also knew that he knew of her current financial struggles and was trying to help her with that too._

_"The first month for sure," Shirley agreed, "And I can come back in two weeks... with some_ _more,_ _if I move some things around."_

_"Yeah, I'll send mine around the same time." Lucy nodded, wincing as she bit on her lip a bit too hard before wincing at the sudden metallic taste._

_"That's fine," The woman nodded, "We can see how the first month goes."_

_Lucy looked down at the checkbook in her lap as she slowly wrote the amount of money, hearing Shirley sigh in the background. She knew everything was going to be okay. She just needed Luke to go to rehab and get better, and then things would be okay._

_"I'm sorry, Shirl... Lou," Steve sighed as the three of them walked back to the waiting room. Steve was fidgeting with his checkbook, the leather cover sliding smoothing between his fingers, as Shirley grasped her purse strap and Lucy clenched her wallet tight in her hand._

_"It's fine," Shirley assured him, and Lucy nodded in agreement. She couldn't seem to speak, her mind was busy thinking about how she was going to be able to pay for this month's rent and if she was going to need to get another job._

_"I can still—"_

_"You can pay me back when you're a famous writer," Shirley cut him off with a smile and Steve chuckled awkwardly._

_"You might not wanna hold your breath." Steve said, taking off his glasses as the three turned the corner, "Apparently historical fiction is out of vogue."_

_Lucy quickened her pace when she saw Luke's face come into view. She wanted to feel his arms around her and to feel reassurance that he was going to try his best this time but stopped alongside Steve and Shirley. Luke looked... content. He was sitting next to Nell, who was reading a_ _pamphlet,_ _and was reading over her shoulder. A smile crossed Lucy's face, she hadn't seen him look this relaxed in a long time. The collar of his blue long-sleeved shirt was lazily falling towards the left, emphasizing how big it was on him, and his face was freshly shaven._

_But as calm as he seemed, she could see the nervousness dance in his eyes and the light tap of his fingers against his knee._

_"You're all set," Shirley said, causing Luke, Nell, and Theo to look up at the three of them—well, four counting the rehab woman._

_"Yeah." Luke said, getting up slowly and Lucy began to make her way towards him, "What do I, uh..."_

_"We're all set," The lady said, finally catching Luke's attention as Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on his chest, and he responded by pulling her close, "We're going to need a UA."_

_"What?" Luke questioned and Lucy looked up at him, not surprised to see that his eyes were red and droopy._

_"Urine Analysis." The lady smiled, "First time, huh?"_

_"Did you know they have horseback riding?" Nell cut in as she stared at the pamphlet in shock. Lucy rolled her eyes and squeezed Luke tighter to her. To some, it seemed that Nell hadn't been listening to the conversation, but Lucy knew, they all knew, that this was Nell's way of coping with the situation, "They have horseback riding."_

_"A UA, right," Luke said, taking a step forward and letting go of Lucy's waist as she let go of his. She didn't move from where she was behind him, though, "What if-what if there's still..."_

_"It's okay if you're not clean. We just need to know how dirty."_

_"All right," Luke muttered as he took the container from her hands, hesitating before turning around to look at his family, "Aw, shit. Wish me luck."_

_Theo was the first one to give Luke a hug goodbye, an action that surprised the family since she made it so clear that she didn't like to be touched. Luke turned, catching Lucy's eye, and she motioned for him to hug Shirley, who had stepped forward. The interaction between the two was so short that no one in the Crain family saw it._

_"We love you_ _so _ _much," Shirley whispered as she squeezed Luke tight before pulling back and looking him in the eye, hearing his shaky breath, "You can do this."_

_"Thanks," Luke nodded before walking to Steve, the two brothers quickly hugging._

_"Anything you need," Steve said._

_Nell was the last one of the family to say goodbye, smushing her face into her brother's chest as he squeezed her tight. Lucy bit her lip as she watched the two say goodbye and good luck. She knew that this was the hardest part for them, saying goodbye to one another. They were twins, together since birth, and_ _now_ _one was leaving._

_"You got this," Nell stated._

_"Yeah," Luke stuttered, letting go and turning around to face Lucy, the last person to say goodbye._

_"Lou," He began, but in two short steps, she was hugging him tightly, with him hugging her just as vigorously. She knew that she was going to cry but she also knew that she couldn't let him see her tears. She didn't want him to feel any worse than he already did, "Lou, I'm so sorry—"_

_"It's okay," Lucy cut him off, pulling away and looking up at him. Stepping on her tippy toes, she gently grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his head down, lightly pressing a kiss to his lips and pulling away, staring into his cerulean blue eyes, "It's okay. Just get better."_

_Luke nodded and he brushed back a strand of her hair, his eyes searching hers before he pressed his lips against hers once more. Stepping away, Lucy gave a little wave goodbye as he followed the lady back, a sad smile gracing her lips._

_"They have horses," Nell called, fidgeting with the pamphlet, and Lucy pulled her into a hug._

_"He can do it." Shirley stated, her voice unwavering with confidence, "He's gonna do it."_


	3. Chapter Three

_Hazel eyes, that leaned more towards brown than they did green, peered over the edge of the cardboard box and stared down at the kittens that lay mewling and wriggling. They_ _weren't all one solid color, something that Lucy found very interesting, but instead were mixtures of white, brown, black, and a little orange. She had never seen a kitten before; her mother had told her that they were too fragile for her clumsy hands, but here they were... and they were a lot smaller than she thought they'd be. _

_"There's five of them like there's five of us," Luke said as he stared curiously at the kittens before looking at Nell and Shirley. Lucy couldn't stop the sharp pain that shot through her chest at his words. Even though she knew that these people considered her family, as she did to them, she would never be an actual part of their family no matter how hard she tried. _

_"That's what I thought," Shirley smiled, reaching over and placing down one of the kittens she had just fed-a brown and black one to be specific, "Until I saw this."_

_Lucy shifted on her knees and watched, her eyes filled with awe as Shirley lifted up the blanket at the bottom of the box to reveal a sixth sleeping kitten, one that was pure black and extremely small compared to its siblings. Tilting her head, Lucy leaned closer to the box and examined the kitten. Even though it was comparatively smaller, it rested peacefully and seemed to be at ease underneath the blanket, even though it was being crawled over by its siblings._

_"That one's me," Nellie giggled, pointing to a black and white kitten who happened to be crawling over a white and brown one._

_"That must be Luke then," Lucy added, the two girls looking at one another before bursting into a fit of giggles and ignoring Luke's glare. _

_"Like this," Shirley interrupted, one handing holding a kitten and another holding a dropper. From her spot in between Nellie and Luke, Lucy shifted to her knees and leaned forward, watching as Shirley placed a small drop on the kitten's nose, "You get... just enough and you drop a little on their nose, because their eyes aren't open yet and they need to know it. See? And then when they open."_

_With inquisitive eyes and a tilted head, Lucy watched as the kitten flicked out its small—so small that Lucy couldn't believe her eyes—tongue and licked its nose, the milk vanishing. _

_"Wow," Nellie sighed in amazement and Shirley looked at her with a grin, happy that at least somebody else found it as amazing as she did. _

_"Do you wanna try it?"_

For whatever odd reason, Lucy was nervous to see Shirley again.

It wasn't as if she and Shirley had ended off on the wrong foot or if they had gotten into a fight recently, nothing of that matter had happened for a few years now. The last argument they had was a year or two ago over Luke, but it was nothing major, nothing like the fights they used to have.

So, pushing her nerves aside and bouncing on the balls of her feet, Lucy knocked on Shirley's door before quickly distracting herself by fixing the blankets that surrounded Matilda. Thankfully, Matilda had managed to sleep through the entire flight—only waking up once or twice for food or for a change. Lucy couldn't help but smile at how peaceful Matilda looked at the moment and she wished that Luke was here to see her, see how much she'd grown.

It was true, Luke had come to see Matilda and Lucy two months ago. However, like she told Steve, he hadn't gotten the chance to see Matilda. Lucy worked as a waitress at a restaurant located a block away from the daycare, and Luke had come in the middle of her shift. They ate together during her lunch break. It made Lucy feel like she was seven years in the past, around the time Luke started to get really bad, but through all the mess and frenzy, he never forgot to meet her for lunch.

It was probably because she paid for it, now that she thought about it.

The blanket that was currently keeping her daughter warm and protected from the cold was the blanket that Luke wanted to gift Matilda himself. Without thinking, she pulled out her phone and snapped a pic before scrolling through her contacts, her thumb hesitating over his name. He didn't have his phone, there was no point; and, at that, Lucy canceled the text just as she heard the door open, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Shirl, hey." Lucy barely had time to finish before Shirley had pulled her into a hug. Lucy's eyes fluttered closed as she clung to Shirley, finally feeling like she didn't have to be strong for a moment.

Shirley and Steve had always been the rocks of the family. They kept the family upright through thick and thin, even though they fought constantly. But, to Lucy, Shirley and Steve were her older siblings. The people who protected her from the media and helped her in the house and out of the house. When Lucy was with Shirley, she felt like she could didn't have to be the strong pillar holding up her family, but when she was Steve, she felt safe and protected by her older brother.

"Lou," Shirley breathed out as she squeezed her tighter before pulling back and giving her a once over, "How are you?"

"As good as one can be." Lucy smiled tightly before slightly bending to pick up the car seat, "But how are you?"

"Well, yesterday I finished, uh, 'getting Nell ready', but I'm trying." Shirley said, rubbing her arms and Lucy smiled, shifting the carrier weight in her arms. Shirley finally seemed to notice and her eyes widened as her mouth fell open into a gasp, "She must be freezing. I'm so sorry. Please, come inside."

"It's okay," Lucy said, smiling in thanks as she entered Shirley's home and making sure to take her shoes off before walking any further into the house.

Lucy looked around the house as Shirley led her to the kitchen, most likely going to offer a cup of tea or coffee, and she couldn't help but notice how much the house embodied Shirley's personality. It was clean and she wouldn't have thought that children lived here if it weren't for the two sets of shoes at the door. Everything was crisp, pristine, and in order.

Letting out a low groan as she heaved Matilda's carrier onto the island, her face broke into a grin when she saw that Matilda had woken up, her eyes blinking sleepily as Lucy gently placed the pacifier in her mouth.

"Hey, darling," Lucy cooed, moving the blanket out of the way and unbuckling the buckle. A laugh escaped her lips as Matilda kicked her legs wildly and Lucy situated her onto her hip, "You're happy to see Auntie Shirley, aren't you?"

"She's gotten so big," Shirley said, approaching the two and staring at her niece, who looked back at her with owlish eyes, "Her eyes... they're so much like-"

"Luke's? Yeah." Lucy finished, her attention still on Matilda and she tickled her stomach, smiling at how Matilda happily let out a stream of giggles, her pacifier falling from her mouth.

"Can I... can I hold her?" Shirley hesitantly asked and Lucy immediately nodded, her eyes wide.

"Of course! You don't need to ask," Lucy shifted Matilda into Shirley's open arms, placing the pacifier back into Matilda's mouth when she saw the corner of her lips turn down, "You're her Aunt."

The two sat in a comfortable silence, Shirley giving Matilda a majority of her attention while Lucy began to make two cups of tea. When she turned back, Lucy was surprised to see that Shirley had moved to the corner and was standing in front of a portrait of her, Luke, and Nell at graduation. Quietly placing the two mugs down, she made her way over to the two and took her place to the left of Shirley. Tickling the bottom of her Matilda's foot and giggling when she kicked her little foot and gave a whine of aggravation, she listened to Shirley.

"That's you're Auntie Nellie," Shirley said, pointing to a younger Nell, who was smiling at the camera, "And there's your mommy, and there's your daddy."

"I was also so jealous that he did better in school than me," Lucy admitted, meeting Shirley's gaze before turning to look back at the photo. Luke had his arm thrown around both girls and was smiling brightly at the camera, Nell smiling while she looked up at him, her eyes twinkling with happiness and hope for the future, "He always seemed to slack and when he would do better on tests, I would get so angry. I would spend hours studying for a test while he played video games or whatever and he would still do better."

Shirley let chuckle and Lucy looked at her, "Luke did study. All the time. I asked him about it one day and he said that he wanted to be able to provide for you in the future—your future together."

_The dark red dress was billowy enough to cover the small bump when she stood, but the moment Lucy moved, it would wrap around her stomach, emphasizing the bump and the unwanted attention she got from it. Nervously, Lucy checked her phone and frowned when she didn't see the notification she wanted. _

_"Shirl," Lucy started, freezing when she saw Nell's cheery face. The words that rested on the tip of her tongue died away and Lucy could only stare in awe, "My God, Nell. You look... beautiful." _

_Nell flushed at her words and looked away, self-consciously tucking back a strand of hair. Meeting her oldest friend, and maid of honor's gaze, Nell's face beamed._

_"Thanks, Lou, you look stunning as well." Lucy smiled at the compliment before turning back to at Shirley, "Have you?"_

_Shirley shook her head, "No, I thought-" _

_Lucy's head tilted to the side in confusion as she stopped talking, her face hardening before she roughly put the makeup brushes down. Nell seemed to share her confusion and shared a concerned looked with Lucy before looking back at Shirley._

_"What is it?"_

_"Nothing. I should be right back. We'll finish up." Shirley's voice was tight when she responded, almost as if she was upset about something. _

_Lucy was prepared to watch Shirley storm and harass whatever being had offended her—if so much as a pigeon looked at her wrong it seemed to set her off nowadays—when Shirley lightly grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out with her, Lucy sending Nell a pleading look as she was dragged out to which Nell shrugged, watching with confusion_

_The bitter wind nipped harshly at Lucy's bare arms and she shivered as she followed Shirley out the front door, her heart dropping as she saw what made Shirley upset. Although his shirt was untucked and he looked a mess, Lucy thought he'd never looked more handsome. Her paced slowed and her hand fell to the small bump, cradling it as she watched Shirley marched up to him. _

_"Hey," Luke smiled, and Lucy hated that her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice, "Hey, I didn't know if this was the—"_

_"The hell, Luke?" Lucy watched as Shirley pushed him away from the window, looking frantically to see if anyone saw him._

_"What?" Luke hissed, surprised and hurt by his sister's reaction. He thought that she'd be happy to see him, happy to see that he made it._

_"Taxi! Hold up!" Shirley cried as she tried to direct a stumbling Luke backward towards the taxi._

_"What? Hey, I'm fine." Luke shrugged her off him and smiled down at her, "I'm fine. I'm fine. I just... I just wanted to make sure I got to tell her that I was happy—"_

_"Look at me," Shirley demanded and Lucy's heart stopped. _

_She had been so happy that Luke had come. Now she didn't have to be the maid-of-honor without a dance partner, a dance partner that wasn't her boyfriend. She didn't have to feel excluded from the group—even though Shirley and Theo would never, she saw some of the looks Nell's friends gave her—or alone. _

_She thought that'd he'd been improving... that'd he'd be there for her and their child sooner rather than later. Lucy saw Shirley's pleading glance towards her, but she felt like she couldn't move. What was she supposed to do? Tell him to leave? She knew that was what Shirley wanted her to do but she didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay. _

_"What?" Luke sighed._

_"Look at me," Shirley demanded once more, making eye contact with Lucy before looking back at Luke. _

_Lucy watched from the patio as Luke shuffled on his feet before sighing and locking eyes with Shirley. Even though she wished Luke could see her, she was glad that he hadn't. She didn't know what she'd say if he did, if he started talking to her. _

_"You're high." She heard Shirley say and her heart dropped, along with her hand from her stomach. _

_"No," She heard Luke deny as he shook his head, the panicked laugh was enough to tell her that Shirley was right, "No, I'm not." _

_"So you got the day pass?" Shirley questioned, her face showing her aggravation as did her voice. _

_"Yeah. They're very supportive." Luke nodded. _

_"Luke, I paid for rehab. We both did," Lucy watched as Shirley referenced to her, and she felt her breath catch in her throat as Luke turned, the two locking eyes. His whole face seemed to soften at the sight of her, that was something both Lucy and Shirley noticed. Lucy watched as his eyes trailed down her form, lingering on her eyes for a second longer, "Guess who they called when you ran away last week? Last week!" _

_"Um, Shirl," Luke said, his attention turning to Shirley, "She's expecting me to be here." _

_"No, she's not. Nobody is." Lucy heard Shirley say, her voice was harsh, she wanted it to sting. She wanted him to feel the hurt and pain she felt every time she got a call. _

_"Shirley," Lucy warned, speaking for the first time, and Luke and Shirley immediately looked at her. What she was saying wasn't true and Luke didn't deserve to be treated like that, "That's enough." _

_Shirley sighed and faced Luke, trying to soften her tone but it didn't work, "Today's about Nell._

_"Y-yeah." Luke agreed._

_"Do you get that? This is her day. You're not smearing your shit all over her day, Luke." _

_"Shirley," Lucy snapped, finally making her way off the patio and standing slightly in front of Luke, as if she were trying to shield him for Shirley's harsh word. Her hand subconsciously reached behind her and grasped Luke's giving it a soft squeeze, "That's enough. I know you're upset but that does not give you the right to talk to him like this." _

_It did. Both she and Shirley knew that, but today wasn't Shirley's day. It was Nell's. _

_"He's going to ruin the wedding, Lucy. What don't you understand." Shirley stressed and she watched as Luke took a step forward, towering over Lucy's figure and making it so her back was touching his chest. _

_"Shirl, I'm level, I just," Luke tried to explain, breathing in deeply, "I just really want to be here for her." _

_"You should've thought that before you put the needle in your arm. What's the cab?" Shirley asked, ruffling through her wallet, "Twenty? Thirty? Here's a hundred. You can shoot up the rest, I don't care." _

_"Shirley!" Lucy gasped, her respect for her 'older sister' dropping to nothing. But both Luke and Shirley ignored her and Lucy looked up at Luke, feeling her heartbreak when she saw the familiar gaze in his eyes as he stared at the money. _

_She thought... she thought for maybe one moment, one day she had him back. _

_"This is the last I ever give you." Shirley continued, "No more loans, no more treatment center, nothing. The store's closed. I'm done." _

_She could feel Luke fighting from behind her. He didn't want to, she knew he didn't want to, but if it would make Nell happy... Shirley happy, he'd do it. Lucy opened her mouth to argue with him, Shirley, or both of them, but her mouth went try when Luke let go of her hand and grabbed the money. _

_When she watched him walk away, she wondered if she should wait. If this was all going to worth it in the end, and if this was the right path for their child. _

_It was then Lucy decided that Luke had six months to clean up his act. She was giving him half a year, and if he couldn't do it by then, then she was done. _

_For good this time._


End file.
